The first step in diagnosing kidney disease is based on a few questions related to you:
- Do you have any underlying conditions such as high blood pressure / diabetes /cardiovascular diseases/ Lupus/ Enlarged Prostate/ Kidney Stones/ Prolonged Kidney Infections?
- Are you on any long-term medication currently? (Lithium, NSAIDS, Omeprazole)
- Have you noticed any changes in urinary habits / amount?
- Do you have any family members who have CKD? who have kidney disease (CKD) can be diagnosed using laboratory blood and urine tests
- History of kidney stones in the past?
Second step is by using a series of laboratory investigations to determine underlying cause of CKD
Laboratory Blood test- To measure the level of Creatinine and Urea within the blood (Waste products)
- To monitor the filtration rate of the kidneys, known as eGFR. Filter levels > 90ml/min shows a healthy functioning kidney. Levels below 90ml/min may show possible underlying CKD
This will help your doctor decide what treatment option is best needed and how often regular testing needs to be done to monitor the progress of your condition.
- stage 1 (G1) – a normal eGFR > 90ml/min, + other tests have detected signs of kidney damage
- stage 2 (G2) – a slightly reduced eGFR of 60 - 89ml/min + with other signs of kidney damage
- stage 3a (G3a) – an eGFR of 45 - 59ml/min
- stage 3b (G3b) – an eGFR of 30 - 44ml/min
- stage 4 (G4) – an eGFR of 15 - 29ml/min
- stage 5 (G5) – an eGFR < 15ml/min: kidneys have lost almost all of their function
- To measure the levels of albumin and creatinine in your urine (albumin: creatinine) ratio
- To check if there is any blood or protein in your urine
Used to assess the level of damage to your kidneys. These may include:
- Ultrasound scan, MRI scan or CT scan : to check on overall condition of kidneys and if there are any defects or blockages seen
- Kidney Biopsy: Done by removing a small sample of kidney tissue to examine the cells under a microscope for signs of cell / tissue damage.